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Equestrian statue of Alexander the Great at Macedonia Square in Skopje with fountain, historic buildings and mountain backdrop

Skopje Part 1

Skopje - Part 1

Since 1991 Skopje has been the capital of the independent south-east European country Macedonia. However, the history of the city begins several thousand years back.The area where Macedonia's largest city today is located has been inhabited for at least 4000 BC.

Over the centuries Skopje was under the control of various rulers. They were part of the Roman Empire, the Bulgarian Empire, the Serbian Empire and the Ottoman Empire. For the First Bulgarian Empire and the Serbian Empire it also served as capital for a time.

In the 1940s Skopje became the capital of the Democratic Macedonia (later Socialist Republic of Macedonia), which was part of the Democratic Federal Yugoslavia (later Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia). Almost 50 years later it became the capital of today's independent Macedonia.

Urban cityscape of Skopje with a bridge crossing the Vardar River, mountains rising behind dense apartment blocks

Skopje is the largest city in the country with about 550,000 inhabitants and is home to about a quarter of all inhabitants of the south-eastern European country. The city is located on the Vardar River, which runs through the valley in which the city lies.

Equestrian statue of Alexander the Great at Macedonia Square in Skopje with fountain, historic buildings and mountain backdrop

Macedonia and therefore Skopje are in a seismologically extremely active region, which often results in earthquakes. A decisive break in the history of the city was the earthquake in 1963.

On July 26, 1963 an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.1 hit Skopje. As a result, 1066 people lost their lives and around 80 percent of the city was destroyed. Among them many neoclassical and historical buildings in the city centre.

Panoramic view of Stone Bridge and neoclassical buildings along the Vardar River in Skopje, North Macedonia

In the following years the city was largely rebuilt. The main focus is on practical modernist architecture. Which was one of the reasons that in 2010 a plan of the former government of the country under the then-ruling party VMRO-DPMNE was presented.

The project "Skopje 2014" was designed to give the city centre a more monumental look and thereby strengthen the Macedonian identity. This should be achieved through the construction of buildings and monuments.

Between 2010 and 2014, 136 structures were erected at a cost in the three-digit million euro range. Not only the high costs of the major project were criticized, but also the incorporation of historical figures into Macedonian history is a point of criticism.

In 2018, the project was set on hold and a commission to review controversial monuments and statues was established.

Historic stone arch bridge spanning a river in an urban European setting with pedestrians, flower beds, and distant mountains
grand neoclassical building with a large dome and tall columns captured in black and white
Skopje Fortress, Macedonia, with Macedonian flag flying atop a stone tower.
white domed building with dark cupola framed by a rough stone wall opening in Skopje

At the highest point of the town lies the historical Fortress of Skopje.

The Kale, the Turkish word for "fortress", was built in 6th century from limestone and was destroyed by an earthquake in 518. However, it was rebuilt until it became a victim of the 1963 earthquake and was partially destroyed again.

Stone fortress wall overlooking Skopje city skyline with domed buildings and distant mountains
Stone fortress tower with crenellated battlements and a flagpole flying a national flag overlooking a city and distant hills
Historic stone fortress tower with orange terracotta roof tiles surrounded by urban greenery and trees
ancient stone fortress walls with mosque dome and minaret in the background over green vegetation
Ancient stone fortress wall with crenellated battlements and a small barred arched doorway
Stone wall of a fortress with greenery growing on top and at the base.
Red flag with yellow sun emblem flying above stone fortress walls and lush green vegetation under an overcast sky
Aerial city square view with a central monument and clock tower surrounded by classical buildings, parked cars, and green spaces with mountains in the background
Bronze mother and child sculptures seated on a tiered stone fountain in a city plaza with a domed columned building and mountains in the background
Bronze statue of a mother embracing a child on a tiered stone fountain in a public square
Bronze sculpture of a mother holding her child on a tiered stone fountain in an urban setting
Bronze mother-and-child statue seated at an ornate public fountain with a warrior monument in the background
Bronze lion and female statue on an ornate fountain with water mist in front of a classical white building
Shoppers walk along a sunlit cobblestone street lined with jewelry shops in an old bazaar
narrow cobblestone street in an old bazaar lined with historic storefronts and a distant mosque minaret
Small caffè with terracotta tile roof on a cobblestone street, white mosque minaret rising behind
Skopje Old Bazaar shops: a tobacco store and a gold shop with Coca-Cola and other beverages in a cooler outside.
Pedestrians walking on a cobblestone street lined with shops cafes and historic buildings in an old town bazaar district with domed architecture in the background
Cobblestone pedestrian street in an old town marketplace lined with historic shops and hanging street lamps
Skopje
Next
Panoramic cityscape viewed from above showing a dense urban valley with red rooftops, green treetops, distant mountains and a partly cloudy sky

Skopje - Part 2

A city with a variety of nuances.
Equestrian statue of Alexander the Great at Macedonia Square in Skopje with fountain, historic buildings and mountain backdrop

Skopje - Part 1

Panoramic cityscape viewed from above showing a dense urban valley with red rooftops, green treetops, distant mountains and a partly cloudy sky

Skopje - Part 2

classical statues of man and woman between fluted stone columns at historic building exterior

Skopje - Part 3

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